Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, olive oil and basil

With some dishes you just can’t stop eating, even if you’re really really full. It’s not a problem if you only have one dish like that, but I have to admit I have several.

Butter chicken for example, with freshly baked naan: I can keep on eating until I have a stomach-ache. And risotto: somehow I always cook too much (yeah right ;-)) and I can’t stop filling my plate. I see a similarity: it’s usually creamy, soft food. I tell myself it’s ok if I just don’t cook these dishes to often 😉

Another one: mashed potatoes! Some years ago I even liked the pre packed supermarket stuff but nowadays of course it’s homemade from scratch. Mashed potatoes don’t need a lot: some cream or milk, a good knob of butter and nutmeg. For a lighter version I sometimes use sweet potato: very tasty and a bit healthier too.

Today I make light yet creamy mashed potatoes: I replace the cream or milk for olive oil. For a Mediterranean version I am using roasted garlic and chopped basil; delicious with stuffed chicken breast and a fresh tomato salad! Roasting the garlic will give it a subtler and less sharp flavour; just try it!

Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, olive oil and basil

For 6 people (when served as a side dish like in the picture)

Ingredients

500 g slightly floury potatoes, peeled

A bulb of fresh garlic, unpeeled (Note: For this recipe you will need only one clove, you can easily keep the rest of the bulb, by roasting you actually extend shelf life. You can often replace raw garlic in a recipe with the roasted one)

Approx. 25 ml tasty olive oil

Bit of lemon juice

10 g basil, leaves only, finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Chilli flakes to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Cut off the top of the unpeeled garlic bulb (so you can see the cloves) and wrap the bulb in a piece of aluminium foil

Roast the garlic for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven until the garlic cloves are soft

Meanwhile cook the potatoes and pour them off

Mash the boiled potatoes to a fine puree with 1 clove of roasted garlic

Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the puree

Stir in the chopped basil and season with salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste

1 Response

My name is Annemieke (1981) and I love food – cooking it, reading about it, eating it, searching for the best ingredients, setting the table beautifully....

Food makes memories. Food connects; the best conversations often happen during a nice dinner. And that’s what Miss Gingerish is all about: reminiscence & making memories, seduce & inspire you with delicious recipes and sharing beautiful stories.

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Welcome

My name is Annemieke (1981) and I love food – cooking it, reading about it, eating it, searching for the best ingredients, setting the table beautifully....

Food makes memories. Food connects; the best conversations often happen during a nice dinner. And that’s what Miss Gingerish is all about: reminiscence & making memories, seduce & inspire you with delicious recipes and sharing beautiful stories.